Jordan Pina, Chief of Staff, shared the rationale of putting a Succession Plan in place for Sonya Pratt, Executive Director, as it is required by City on a Hill's Governance Action Plan. The plan includes an overview of absence/departure types, plan implementation, priority functions, financial considerations in the instance Pratt could not fulfill her role as ED. Pina outlined the section of the plan that includes recommendations for an Acting ED in the instance that the Executive Director would take a permanent leave. 

The Committee asked management more specifically about revisions made to the ED Succession Plan. Pina noted that the plan has undergone very minor revisions in the past months, those of which included adding language relating to the change in leadership structure to reflect an Executive Director as the school leader, as well as updated staff recommendations for acting ED in the instance of a leave.

Jordan Pina, Chief of Staff, shared the rationale for City on a Hill's enrollment plan, which is a document that is turned into the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education that outlines City on a Hill's enrollment projections over the next several school years. 

Pina reiterated that because of attrition at the beginning of the School Year 2021-2022, COAH was below the projected enrollment number for the current school year, but has since stabilized. Pina shared that the Department is updated on a weekly basis regarding COAH's enrollment number. Pina shared that in an effort to move beyond stabilization into growth, COAH also hired a Student Recruitment Coordinator in November 2021 to work on enrollment initiatives full time.

Pina shared that the COAH team plans to meet with the Department in the coming weeks to discuss an enrollment projection for next school year (2022-2023) and share COAH's plans for enrollment growth. Pina shared that the COAH Leadership team is in the process of reviewing other Charter peers' enrollment plans to gather best practices. This enrollment plan cannot be finalized until the COAH team is given the draft budget for FY23 from COAH's finance contractors, which is expected to be drafted by the end of the week.

The Committee asked management if the plans for renovation at Circuit Street set to occur in Summer 2022 will increase capacity for a growth in enrollment. Pina shared that with the renovation, some classrooms will be able to be split in half via movable partition. These plans will give the school flexibility in growing its enrollment numbers, however, the initial renovation will not allow for the building to hold the amount of students COAH is currently chartered to enroll. 

Sonya Pratt, Executive Director, added that these divided classrooms will also allow for classes that have smaller sections, such as below ten students, to meet in the same classroom as another class. Pratt noted that this will free up more classrooms from English Language Learning and Special Education sections to meet. 

The Committee asked what the maximum number of students is that would fit at Circuit Street was. Pratt shared that the most students that have attended City on a Hill in the Circuit Street building was around 285 students. Pratt shared that Phase II of the proposed Circuit Street renovation will allow for accommodation of additional students. 

Jordan Pina, Chief of Staff, shared that all City on a Hill compliance related items are on track and on time. Pina shared that monthly touchpoint calls with DESE have been established and began in January 2022. 

During these calls, the Chief of Staff, Executive Director, Board Vice Chair and Director of Teacher Development and Compliance meet with a member of the Department to share updates related to COAH's progress towards probationary conditions on a monthly basis. These updates can included, but are not related to, enrollment updates, academic updates, and hiring updates. 

Pina shared that the COAH team has already begun discussing materials that will be complied and turned into the Department in August 2024, as COAH will be a candidate for a charter renewal.  

The Committee asked management more specifically about the timeline for getting off of probation. Pratt shared that the Leadership Team works actively every day to fulfill probationary conditions in order to set up COAH for success to move off of probation at the next renewal cycle. Pratt shared that it is important to acknowledge that some of the progress that had been made to COAH's probationary conditions was hindered due to the COVID-19 pandemic and that the COAH team's focus is to continue to work towards progress in fulfilling those conditions.

The Committee asked when the next NWEA MAP, a nationally normed growth test, would occur and when the data would be available. Pratt shared that the growth test is being taken by students this week at COAH, and that information will be shared with DESE on an ongoing basis as other enrollment and academic data is shared. 

Pratt shared that the bell schedule this week was adjusted for the school day to allow for students to take the MAP test, and there was framing given to each student regarding the test before the students were administered the growth exam. Pratt noted that this test is given to ninth and tenth graders for Math, English and Science topics. 

Pratt shared that this data will show how each student has grown in comparison to the beginning of the school year (2021-2022) as well as show where each student falls according to national norms. This data will allow for teachers to inform their instruction based upon where students need support. The data from the growth exam will be shared with the Academic Excellence Committee when available. 

Jessica Yang, Board Chair, reminded the Committee that the goal is to grow to two more members. Sonya Pratt, Executive Director, shared that she has reached out to two individuals in order to gauge interest in joining the Board.

Pratt shared that one individual has volunteered with City on a Hill students, and the other is a former COAH educator who has worked closely with the Board of Trustees in the past. Pratt is set to meet with these individuals in the coming weeks to talk more about the Board and share more about Board responsibilities and committees. Pratt shared that any update after these conversations will be shared out with the Governance Committee. 

The Committee asked if the Board job description could be posted again as well. Pina shared that COAH will be posting for open roles for SY23 in the coming months, and that she could post the Board of Trustees role description as well.

The Committee asked what the current update was around continuing Board Meetings virtually. Pina shared that there has been no recent update outside of the act that currently extends Open Meeting Law meetings to occur remotely through April 2022. The COAH Team has already discussed preparation for returning to in-person meetings if this act is not extended. 

Pina shared that the City on a Hill Foundation has hired a full time Director of Development who started this week and will be working on all fundraising-related initiatives moving forward. Because development work will only occur at the Foundation Board level moving forward and this role is now filled, Pina shared that it is management's recommendation that the Board of Trustees Development Committee be dissolved. 

Pina noted that while this Committee would not exist, there would still be interaction of the Boards on this topic to help generate initiatives related to fundraising work. The Committee agreed that dissolving the Development Committee is in the best interest of the time and talent of these Trustees following an initial period of transition to get the Director of Development up to speed on previous initiatives. 

The Committee discussed re-evaluating Committee assignments, as there are a few Committees that have conflicting schedules and Development Committee members could be placed elsewhere. The Committee reviewed current Committee structures and committed to following up with individual Board members to discuss their background and preference in shifting to other Committees in future Board meetings.